Something New (This Week)
Miley, Abel, and Parker.
Welcome to Something New, where I realize I haven’t exactly been following the guidelines and proposed emphases of talking about things that are new (to me). I’ve been having a great and fulfilling time writing, but I’m ready to get back to that stated goal, and I’ve got some great new stuff that I can’t wait to write about. Let’s start now!
Summer is Back
At least in the form of being a word chosen as part of the title of Miley Cyrus’ new record Endless Summer Vacation, a 13-track collection that has a bunch of different sounds going on, and a bunch of different featured producers and spots from Brandi Carlile and Sia. After first listen, it feels a little all over the place, but it definitely has vibes I’ll bring with me when summer actually starts (there’s a high of 55 coming this very next week!!!).
Scholastic Book Fair Reads
I satisfied my inner childhood-reader the past couple months when I found and devoured William Steig’s Abel’s Island. The book, a simple tale about a silver-spooned mouse named Abel who gets separated from his wife in a raging storm and must survive on his own to get back to her, is my first Steig and one of my favorite reads in a while. The depths of character, change, love, and illustration are so lovely here. It also took me back to the times of the Scholastic fairs of my youth, sitting in the corner bean bag and just flying through Dahl and Tolkien. I would recommend this to anyone of any age.
90’s Indies Never Miss
New York City, club music, the Dewey Decimal System, Parker Posey. I’m sure you thought you’d never have all of those things in one place, at one time. I am delighted to tell you that, no, you can’t have that now, but we had it in 1995 in Daisy von Scherler Mayer’s debut feature-film Party Girl. The movie is not without its mess and misses, but the vibes are incredible, the soundtrack goes hard, and Parker Posey had an energy that we’ve never seen before or since. This is a great hang for 94 minutes. You can watch it now on The Criterion Channel.
It’s one of my favorite strecthes of the calendar, currently: daylight savings time and St. Patrick’s Day. I hope the later sunlight and cornier beef find you well this almost-spring season.
What new music are you playing right now? What movie are you excited to see? Who’s got the best new cookbook out right now? As always, reach out, share your new’s, keep consuming.
TTFN,
B